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A mentor can change everythingSun, 16 Dec 2018 19:56:38 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.1https://esmprep.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cropped-esm-logo-blue-512-200x200.pngESM Prephttps://esmprep.com
3232Maximizing YouTube’s Academic Potentialhttps://esmprep.com/maximizing-youtubes-academic-potential/
https://esmprep.com/maximizing-youtubes-academic-potential/#respondTue, 11 Dec 2018 05:22:43 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=2151Ever heard those crazy tales of Kobe Bryant’s legendary midnight workouts, the guy who made Stardew Valley by himself working 8-10 hour days 7 days a week for four years, or Stephen King writing at least ten pages every single day? Name a field, there’s a story. These anecdotes are often simply offered as inspiration Read More

It’s certainly possible, and I’m sure some are, but what is often not emphasized is that for the majority of successful people, these habits must be learned and practiced. Essentially, to work hard, learn new things and accomplish amazing things, people must first learn how to work hard in the first place! This is an often neglected and rarely taught skill, whether in high school or otherwise.

The first key is understanding that it is not hard work but rather effective hard work that matters. The number 10,000 hours (From Malcolm Gladwell’s bookOutliers) is often put forth as the magic number of hours of practice needed to attain mastery in a skill or an idea, but unfortunately it is often stated without context. Those 10,000 hours will barely get you anywhere if they aren’t spent effectively. Therefore, it’s not quality over quantity or quantity over quality, but quality AND quantity that matter!

So, you must simultaneously learn how to practice a lot and how to practice well. The core solution is simple: make it a habit. To get that 10,000 hours, you must make working automatic. Easier said than done, of course, but there are more than a few techniques you can learn that will help you. My personal favorite is thePomodoro Technique:

The technique itself is simple and involves six steps:

Decide on the task to be done.

Set a timer (traditionally 25 minutes).

Work on the task.

End work when timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.

If you have fewer than four check marks, take a 3-5 minute break and then go to step 2.

Once you have four checkmarks, take a 15-30 minutes break, reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1. Repeat until the task is done.

I love this technique because it has built in breaks that are designed to prevent ineffective work from happening. Taking breaks is key, as it gives you time to refresh and rethink your approach. This technique is simply one of many that are out there; ultimately you must figure out what works best for you.

Got it? Great, because that’s just Step 1 overall. Steps 2, 3, 4, all the way to infinity are to repeat it every week and every day, whenever you have something that needs to get done. (And you always will, or should, at least!) Here’s a couple other useful tips that can help make creating a habit easier:

Pick a consistent time and place to study, preferably away from home. Consistency is key, and the act of going somewhere away from where you relax helps the brain to understand that it is now “work” time.

Never skip a day because you “just aren’t feeling it”. Always start working. Even if you end up only working for 10 minutes, just showing up will help greatly to cement the habit. (This also applies for going to the gym/working out, by the way!)

If you have multiple tasks, breaking them and switching back and forth between them can help greatly to reduce mental fatigue and boredom.

For example, as a huge history nerd, I am currently working my way through the entire The Great War Youtube series. This series has successfully chronicled the events of World War 1, week by week, exactly 100 years after the events themselves. At the time of this writing, there are currently 641 videos (they’re still making more!); at an average of ten minutes long each it comes out to about 107 total hours of video. Just watching all of it is a gargantuan task on its own (I can’t even imagine creating it).

To make it more manageable, I’ve been watching about three videos a day on average. After about five months, I’m a little over halfway, and I almost can’t imagine life without it at this point (it’s an amazing series). Above all else, consistency is key. The beginning is always the hardest, but keep sticking to it, day in an day out, and eventually it will seem natural. Good luck!

]]>https://esmprep.com/maximizing-youtubes-academic-potential/feed/0Your Crash Course for the SAT Subject Testshttps://esmprep.com/your-crash-course-for-the-sat-subject-tests/
https://esmprep.com/your-crash-course-for-the-sat-subject-tests/#respondTue, 11 Dec 2018 04:58:59 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=2153Imagine if you got to swap out that Reading section on the SAT for one that tested you on your favorite subject. You can showcase your strengths with the SAT Subject Tests. While we wait for the College Board to create a P.E. test, you can choose from at least 20 subjects spanning science, foreign Read More

]]>Imagine if you got to swap out that Reading section on the SAT for one that tested you on your favorite subject. You can showcase your strengths with the SAT Subject Tests. While we wait for the College Board to create a P.E. test, you can choose from at least 20 subjects spanning science, foreign language, history, math, and literature. You can mix and match up to three of these one-hour tests to create the perfect addition to your college application.

You’ll want to do a bit of research to find out what your colleges want. There’s a whole spectrum of how much they care about these Subject Tests, from “don’t bother sending these to us,” to optional, to required. In some cases like Cal Tech and MIT, they will require specific Subject Tests. Also make sure to note how many Subject Tests they recommend or require.

Of course you’ll want to choose the tests that you think you’ll do the best in, but there are some additional considerations, such as timing. Not all subjects are offered on every test date, so check the College Board website. The Subject Tests mirror the work you do in school more closely than the SAT or the ACT does. You can minimize the amount of studying you have to do for the Subject Tests if you take them right when you wrap up their corresponding courses. This means that May and June are very popular test dates for the Subject Tests, so make sure you register early! If you are not taking the most rigorous version of the course (e.g. U.S. History instead of AP U.S. History) or if you are a year removed from the course (took Chemistry as a sophomore and taking the Subject Tests as a junior), you may have to do additional studying. You do not have to wait until junior year to take the tests; in the previous example, it would be best to take the Chemistry test as a sophomore. To see if you are cut out for a test you’re interested in, download The SAT Subject Tests Student Guide and go through the sample questions.

Ideally, your Subject Tests will show off your mastery in a diverse set of academic areas. You definitely don’t want to take both the German test and the German with Listening test. You also don’t want your tests to raise any negative questions for the admissions officials: “She’s applying to the engineering program; why didn’t she take the Math subject test?” or “His personal statement is about his love for books; why is the Literature score so low?” Instead, use the Subject Tests to highlight your academic passions and to assuage potential admission officials’ concerns: “He got a B in his first semester of physics, but this 800 shows that he really turned things around.”

Speaking of 800s, more students get 800s on these tests than students on the regular SAT. Yes, this is partly because students are taking tests in their academic specialties, but also because the SAT Subject Tests are scored slightly differently. The median score for the section of the SAT will be in the low 500s, but the median score for the Subject Tests range from 620 for Math Level I to 790 for Chinese and Korean. Many of the Subject Tests have more forgiving curves than the regular SAT, meaning you can actually miss a couple of questions and still get an 800. However, the Subject Tests do have a “guessing penalty” which makes you lose ¼ of a point from your raw score for every question you get incorrect (as opposed to omit). Learn more about the scoring and percentilesof each test from the College Board.

With careful planning, you’ll walk in to the test center feeling confident and prepared. Talk to your counselor and/or mentors to choose your tests and map out a study plan that focuses on filling in any knowledge gaps you may have. Good luck!

]]>https://esmprep.com/your-crash-course-for-the-sat-subject-tests/feed/05 Qualities of a Strong Leaderhttps://esmprep.com/5-qualities-of-a-strong-leader/
https://esmprep.com/5-qualities-of-a-strong-leader/#respondTue, 11 Dec 2018 04:51:49 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=2148Here at ESM Prep, we take a fully holistic approach to education. We strive to not only help our students achieve academically, but to also help our students become leaders in their schools, communities, and future careers. Here are the five qualities that I value in the best leaders: Approachable – Good leaders exude a Read More

]]>Here at ESM Prep, we take a fully holistic approach to education. We strive to not only help our students achieve academically, but to also help our students become leaders in their schools, communities, and future careers.

Here are the five qualities that I value in the best leaders:

Approachable – Good leaders exude a welcoming and inviting presence. They are inclusive and respectful of all people from all different types of backgrounds, and they are open to learning about differences and embracing them. In fact, a study of 20,000 people around the world (by Harvard Business Review with Tony Schwartz and Christine Porath) discovered that people who felt respected by their leaders “reported 56% better health and well-being, 1.72 times more trust and safety, 89% greater enjoyment and satisfaction with their jobs, 92% greater focus and prioritization, and 1.26 times more meaning and significance. Those that feel respected by their leaders were also 1.1 times more likely to stay with their organizations than those that didn’t.”

Accountable – Have you ever scheduled a meeting with someone only to have them show up unprepared, or not show up at all? Don’t be that person. Good leaders hold themselves accountable to high standards; people notice when you are always on time, prepared, and present. Accountability also means owning up and taking responsibility for your actions and decisions, both good and bad.

Authentic – Be yourself, not your social media self! The fastest and most effective way to build trust and respect from everyone in your life is to be honest and authentic in all of your interactions with people. Here is an amazing article from Forbes called “Ten Authentic Leadership Practices,” that can be applied to your everyday life, and inspire you to live as your authentic self.

Positive – This one seems obvious, but there have been many times I have seen leaders become negative, jaded, and cynical in their interactions with people. It’s very easy to get bogged down in the weeds and fail to keep the long-term vision in mind. Good leaders have a great responsibility; the tone gets set from the top. The people around you will model your behavior, so if you conduct yourself everyday with general positivity they will do the same.

Visionary – A good leader has a vision of the future, and can see the path to getting there. A high-performing leader has the ability (by using numbers 1-4 above) to inspire buy-in from their team, and lead people along the right path to achieve the shared vision.

]]>https://esmprep.com/5-qualities-of-a-strong-leader/feed/0Freedom of Expression on College Campuseshttps://esmprep.com/freedom-of-expression-on-college-campuses/
https://esmprep.com/freedom-of-expression-on-college-campuses/#respondMon, 29 Oct 2018 17:31:57 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=2043In recent years, a spotlight has been shone on freedom of expression on college campuses. College students should have the ability to hear from people with diverse views and express their own, even if they cut against the mainstream. This article from Fortune provides some great advice about how prospective students can ask questions that Read More

]]>In recent years, a spotlight has been shone on freedom of expression on college campuses. College students should have the ability to hear from people with diverse views and express their own, even if they cut against the mainstream. This article from Fortune provides some great advice about how prospective students can ask questions that help them evaluate a school’s freedom of expression during the college tour.

]]>https://esmprep.com/freedom-of-expression-on-college-campuses/feed/05 Steps to Managing Your Priorities During College Appshttps://esmprep.com/5-steps-to-managing-your-priorities-during-college-apps/
https://esmprep.com/5-steps-to-managing-your-priorities-during-college-apps/#respondMon, 29 Oct 2018 17:17:49 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=2033“I’m so busy! Can we do this next week?” Said every student I have ever mentored. Some say it more than others, and I have certainly said it as well, but it brings up the important question, why not do it now? The obvious answer is because there are more important, more urgent things that Read More

Said every student I have ever mentored. Some say it more than others, and I have certainly said it as well, but it brings up the important question, why not do it now?

The obvious answer is because there are more important, more urgent things that need to be done first, so putting this meeting off for a week is a reasonable and logical time management action. Yet, it is important and we should get it done. So how and when will we actually get it done?

I have found it useful to divide our evaluation of the work we have to do into an urgency scale and, separately, an importance scale. It’s good to put them on a 2×2 matrix:

It’s easy to decide to do the High Importance/High Urgency activities. Studying for a test the next day that counts for half of your grade for the semester is a no-brainer to prioritize. It’s also easy to put off the Low/Low activities, such as taking a nap. How, though, do we decide when to do the activities in the other two quadrants?

I find that the work I do with students as a mentor most often falls in the lower right quadrant: we acknowledge the work we need to do is important, but it’s rarely urgent. If the college application is not due for two months, for example, editing one more time on Saturday is never urgent. Yet most of the other work my students are doing lies in the upper half of this matrix, and much of it in the upper left quadrant; urgent, but, in the grand scheme of things, not that important.As humans, we’re compelled to let urgency outweigh importance, and often this means we’re focused on the small stuff instead of the big picture.

So what do we do?

#1 – Create a list somewhere, anywhere. We can’t make tradeoffs if we don’t see what we’re trading off. I’ve made post it lists, I’ve put a to-do list up on a whiteboard, I keep emails as to do items, I’ve kept things in a calendar, I’ve kept them in a daily journal. It doesn’t matter where as long as it’s your list and you mean it.

#2 – Prioritize the list, manage it. I like Post-Its and computer lists because you can move things around. One of my most organized students keeps Post-It—one per task—on the back of her bedroom door. She moves them around as priorities change, time passes, and things get done. And there is a special pile for the things that got done, and it’s really big.

#2a) Some tasks are more complex than others—break them down into simpler tasks so you can acknowledge success as you make progress.

#3 – Forgive yourself. We do urgent things because they cause stress. As a deadline nears and something is not done, anxiety builds. To be successful, however, we have to two the important things, and do them well. So forgive yourself if something not important but urgent doesn’t get done in favor of something more important. It’s ok, that’s the way it’s supposed to work.

#4 – Reward yourself. Find something that brings you joy (or relief) and do it when you complete a task. Sometimes, the act of crossing off a to-do item is reward enough, or moving the post it to the “done” pile. Sometimes I reward myself by putting a fun task on the important and urgent pile. Because it is important to take breaks—to pause and celebrate a bit for a job well done.

#5 – Stick to the rule: If it’s not on the list, it’s not happening; if it’s on, you will do your best to get it done within the priorities of the other items. This takes discipline. Back to the Post-It method, everything you need or want to do goes on a Post-It. Carry them with you during the day and organize them as soon as you get home from school. You’ll find that some things that seemed important when you wrote them down, are less important or lower priority than when you first wrote them. Manage this, compare to the notes that are already there when you get home. Prioritize first, then do.

Ultimately, time and task management is a personal process you’ll hone over years and years, but this stressful, content-and-deadline-condensed semester is a great opportunity to practice these steps and help mitigate your stress levels. Remember: stay organized and envision your goals!

]]>https://esmprep.com/5-steps-to-managing-your-priorities-during-college-apps/feed/0Know (and Love!) Your Strengthshttps://esmprep.com/know-and-love-your-strengths/
https://esmprep.com/know-and-love-your-strengths/#respondMon, 29 Oct 2018 16:18:35 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=2024Hello ESM family! I hope that the school year is off to a positive and productive start! Today, I write to you on a topic that I feel is very important to our students. So often, I hear students say things like: “I am just not a math person” “I just don’t do science” “Essays Read More

]]>Hello ESM family! I hope that the school year is off to a positive and productive start! Today, I write to you on a topic that I feel is very important to our students.

So often, I hear students say things like:

“I am just not a math person”
“I just don’t do science”
“Essays just aren’t my strength”
“Boys are just more spatial than girls”

The list goes on and on. What do we notice about this list? The answer to this question is the word just, and it is a word that we must strive to outgrow. Just limits us to the confines of our beliefs about ourselves, the comparisons we make to others, and the projections that we hear from others. But none of us are just any one thing. We are woven, by our genetics and experiences, into a collection of interests, talents, strengths, struggles, insights, comforts, skills, passions, tendencies, curiosities… the list goes on and on.

Some of us are natural-born linguists; some can see the imaginary in three dimensions. Some create the music, and others dance the dance. Some connect with nature, and others connect the dots. Some students glom onto perceived strengths; others ruminate on all of the things that they just can’t do, longing to be just a little bit better at this, that, or the other. But the truth is, THE WORLD TRULY NEEDS ALL TYPES, and every combination of intelligences is unique and important!

The diagram above shows a handful of intelligence types. Each bubble is a different color, but every bubble is equal in size. Our world depends on the balance of every one of these bubbles, and every overlap possible. The problems we face today require flexible thinkers, strong communicators, team players, analysts, and creatives all working together on a common goal. Harnessing multiple intelligences can lead to personal success, but more importantly, can help change the world. Check out the list below which features modern-day, multi-intelligent people who do just that!

Each of these individuals has a unique set of interests, talents, strengths, struggles, insights, comforts, skills, passions, tendencies, curiosities, and each of them has found success and happiness in life. The common thread is that none of them did JUST anything. None of them are just statisticians, or just artists, or just dancers, or just medical specialists, or just business executives, or just ecologists. All of them are multi-intelligent, multi-passionate human beings, and that is what we can all strive to be. Never settle for just anything! This year, I challenge each and every one of us (students, parents, and mentors alike) to not only apply our natural intelligences more intentionally, but also embrace the areas that we struggle, learn from those who can teach us, and teach those who can learn from us.

I leave you with the quote:

“Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” -Albert Einstein

]]>https://esmprep.com/know-and-love-your-strengths/feed/0Study Habits for Successhttps://esmprep.com/study-habits-for-success/
https://esmprep.com/study-habits-for-success/#respondThu, 27 Sep 2018 23:05:28 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=1969A month of school is now under your belts: new teachers, new subjects, and new study habits! With this comes learning how to adapt to each teacher’s individual teaching and assessment style. Some teachers care about the small specific details; others focus on the more general, overarching concepts. Though it can be a challenge to Read More

]]>A month of school is now under your belts: new teachers, new subjects, and new study habits! With this comes learning how to adapt to each teacher’s individual teaching and assessment style. Some teachers care about the small specific details; others focus on the more general, overarching concepts. Though it can be a challenge to adapt to all these different styles, it’s also a great way to develop your study skills across disciplines and identify your own learning strengths and weaknesses.

By this time, you have probably taken a quiz or test in every class. Use these, along with homework scores, in order to see what each teacher finds the most important, and then modify your study habits for the best fit. The table below offers some examples of how to separate subjects, teacher “type,” and some ways to study best for that individual class.

Type of Class

Style of Assessment

Studying Tips

Math and Economics

No Partial Credit

-Pay attention to details

-Small mistakes matter

-Do things in the exact steps the teacher does in the notes

-Learn exact definitions

-Do lots of practice problems

Long, complicated word problems (much like ACT/SAT math problems)

-Breaking down word problems into simpler steps and annotating important pieces

]]>https://esmprep.com/study-habits-for-success/feed/0Staying Organized During the Athletic Recruiting Processhttps://esmprep.com/staying-organized-during-the-athletic-recruiting-process/
https://esmprep.com/staying-organized-during-the-athletic-recruiting-process/#respondThu, 27 Sep 2018 21:43:44 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=1964In this video, ESM Senior College Coach Lucas McAdams walks us through the basics of staying organized and proactive during the athletic recruiting process. While Division 1 coaches have the resources and staffs to extensively recruit athletes all over the country, Division 3 coaches are usually dealing with much tighter budgets. With this in mind, Read More

In this video, ESM Senior College Coach Lucas McAdams walks us through the basics of staying organized and proactive during the athletic recruiting process.

While Division 1 coaches have the resources and staffs to extensively recruit athletes all over the country, Division 3 coaches are usually dealing with much tighter budgets. With this in mind, a little proactivity can often make the difference as to whether a prospective student-athlete receives an offer from a coach or not. Watch the video to discover some of the ways that ESM coaches advise their students on staying organized throughout this daunting but exciting process.

]]>https://esmprep.com/staying-organized-during-the-athletic-recruiting-process/feed/04 Steps to Finalizing Your Personal Statementhttps://esmprep.com/4-steps-to-finalizing-your-personal-statement/
https://esmprep.com/4-steps-to-finalizing-your-personal-statement/#respondThu, 27 Sep 2018 21:35:09 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=1956You’ve been asked to sum yourself up in 650 words. And, if you’re like most students, the process hasn’t been a particularly seamless one. It’s a daunting task. There are a million anecdotes, idiosyncrasies, and detours on the road to explaining the fundamental “you,” and somehow you’ve ended up with a mere few paragraphs’ worth Read More

]]>You’ve been asked to sum yourself up in 650 words. And, if you’re like most students, the process hasn’t been a particularly seamless one. It’s a daunting task. There are a million anecdotes, idiosyncrasies, and detours on the road to explaining the fundamental “you,” and somehow you’ve ended up with a mere few paragraphs’ worth of space to encapsulate yourself and present it to strangers all over the country (or world!). No pressure, right?

Believe me, I get it. And as a writing coach, I know the pressure of perfection can cloud our judgement, cause us to freeze up, and make things impossibly difficult. There are, however, a few things you can do to ensure you’re offering up your very best representation of self as you’re finalizing those 650, painstakingly-chosen words.

1. Cut out the pretension:

As someone who’s read quite a few of these, I can tell you that seeing a misused or out of place “big word” really makes the reader cringe. If you wouldn’t say it in your daily life, it doesn’t belong in your personal statement. This is not an academic essay, and it’s not an opportunity for you to live your best thesaurus life: the most important thing your personal statement can be is authentic. So, I beg you, sound like yourself. Do not use “bucolic” to describe your grandma’s house unless you’re a regular employer of “bucolic.”

2. Have a couple (but not too many!) readers:

Best case, you have two types of reader: someone who knows you well and someone who doesn’t. The knows-you-well reader will be able to say whether or not the essay speaks to your True You, and the knows-you-not reader will be able to identify anything that doesn’t quite sound right. Those who know you will inevitably color your content with your already-established fabulous character, so they could miss an oddly phrased sentence or uncomfortable connotation, but those who don’t know you will pick up on those things right away.

3. Concise is key:

And the best way to achieve “concise” is to cut superfluous words. This means:

Ex. “In the class I took for English last year” should become “In English 11″

4. Do the “ask back” check: what does this really convey about me?

Make sure your personal statement is on track and has a clear focus: What point is your anecdote making? Does it convey something about you that’s essential for these future-deciding strangers to know? Does it sound like your voice when you read it aloud?

These four steps may seem simple, but sticking to them will help ensure your personal statement—your authentic introduction to this new life chapter—is your best possible work!

]]>https://esmprep.com/4-steps-to-finalizing-your-personal-statement/feed/0Test Anxiety: Fight, Flight, Faint, or Forge Ahead!https://esmprep.com/test-anxiety-fight-flight-faint-or-forge-ahead/
https://esmprep.com/test-anxiety-fight-flight-faint-or-forge-ahead/#respondMon, 27 Aug 2018 19:08:29 +0000https://esmprep.com/?p=1917ESM Prep senior academic mentor Ellie Morgan discusses what test anxiety is, how it manifests itself in students, and how to beat it. Now based out of the UK, Ellie helps ESM students all over the world overcome the stress and anxiety of standardized testing.

ESM Prep senior academic mentor Ellie Morgan discusses what test anxiety is, how it manifests itself in students, and how to beat it. Now based out of the UK, Ellie helps ESM students all over the world overcome the stress and anxiety of standardized testing.